Carpet stretcher and tacker



UNITED STATES JARED BLAKESLEE, OF STORY CITY, IOlVA.

PATENT 'OEEicE.

CARPET STRETCHER AND TACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,544, dated May 13, 1890. Application filed February 15, 1390. Serial No. 340,535- (N0 model.)

To on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JARED BLAKEsLEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Story City, inthe county of Story and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Combined Carpet Stretcher and Tacker, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to combined carpet stretchers and tackers, and among the objects in View are to provide a cheap and simple device adapted to stretch and tack a considerable length of carpet at one operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out inthe claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is'a perspective of my stretcher in operative position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a bottom plan view; Fig. 1, a longitudinal section; Fig. 5,adetail in perspective of the hammer; Fig. 6, a'detail of one of the tack-holders.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The base 1 is preferably of rectangular shape, and provided upon its under surface with a series of longitudinal groovcs extending through the front end of the same, and in each of the grooves there is secured at their rear end a fiat spring 3, the front free ends of the series of springs extending beyond the front end of the base and bifurcated, as at 4:, to receive the shanks of a series of tacks 5. All of the springs are provided at their ends and upon their upper surfaces with plates 6, which overlap the bifurcations of the springs, and consequently when the tacks are in position rest upon the heads of the same, thus maintaining the tacks in the spring-holders The under surface of the base between the grooves is provided with a series of metal plates 7, secured thereto, the outer ends of the plates extending beyond the front end of the base and slightly inclined and toothed or serrated, as at 8. The front end of the base is also provided with a series of forwardly-projecting bumpers or stops 9, the extremities of which are slightly in advance of the serrated plates and are adapted to come into contact with the mop-board of the room or compartment, and thus prevent the plates and tackholding springs from being injured and from injuring said board.

Theupper front portion of the base is provided with a pair of pivoted rods 10, one of which is provided with a bend 11 at its upper end. Upon the rods there is mounted for reciprocation a loose head 12, perforated to receive the rods, and provided with sleeves 13, projecting upwardly from the head and serving to elongate the bearings of the head upon the rods, whereby an accidental binding of the head upon the rods is avoided. The front face of the head is provided wit-ha plate 14, secured thereto by a series of bolts 15, passed through the plate and into the head. From the lower edge of the plate there depends a series of hammer-heads 16, which in location and number agree with the tackholders. From the head there projects a ver tical handle 17, conveniently bent,-so as to be readily grasped by the hand of the operator.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The serrated teeth of the plates engage the carpet, and by pushing upon the handle the device as a whole is moved toward the mopboard, and its progress is arrested by the bumpers or stops coming in contact with the board. The foot of the operator is placed against the rear end of the base and the stretcher is held in position while the handle is raised vertically and swung toward the wall, which brings the opposite rods, upon which the head reciprocates, to a vertical position and the series of hammers in a vertical line above the series of tack-holders. The head is quickly lowered, so that the hammers come in contact with their respective tack-holders and the tacks are effectually driven thereby through the carpet and into the floor. manner it is apparent that a considerable length of carpet will be stretched and tacked at once, thus facilitating the operation of laying the carpet, resulting in a great reduction of time and labor required.

I do not limit the invention to any particu' lar number of tack-holders or hammer-heads, but may employ as many as can be conveniently operated at the same time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination, with the base having a In this series of tack-holders located at the front end thereof, of apair of rods mounted on the base and a head mounted for recip roeation upon the rods and provided with a series of hammerheads arranged coincident with the tackholders, substantially as specified.

2. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination of a base provided with a series of longitudinal grooves and springs mounted therein and connected at their rear end to the base and having their front ends projected beyond the base and bifurcated, a pair of rods mounted on the base, and a reciprocating head mounted on the rods and provided with a se ries of hammer-heads coincident with the springs, substantially as specified.

3. In a carpet-streteher, the combination, with the base having a series of longitudinal recesses extending to the front end of the same, of a series of flat springs secured to the bottoms of the grooves at their rear ends and having their front ends projecting beyond the base and bifurcated, plates mounted over the bifurcations and secured at their rear ends to the springs, a pair of rods mounted upon the base, and a head mounted for reciprocation upon the rods and provided with a series of ham mer-heads depending from the front edge of the same and coincident with the springs, substantially as specified.

4. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination, With the base having a series of longitudinal grooves upon its under surface and extending to the front edge of the same, a series of toothed plates secured to the base between 5. In a carpet stretcher and tacker, the base I provided with the toothed stretching devices 8, and the series of tack-l1olders arranged at the same end of the base, combined with the pivoted rods 10, connected to the base, the

sliding head 12, mounted on the rods and having operating-handle 17, and the series of hammer-heads 16, coincident with the series of tack-holders, as set forth.

6. In a carpet-tacker, the base provided with the series of tack-holders, combined with the pivoted rods 10, connected to the base, the sliding head 12, mounted on the rods and having operating-handle 17, and the series of hammer-heads 16, coincident With the series of tack-holders, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

JARED BLAKESLEE. WVitnesses:

FRANK WIER, D. G. DARROW. 

